GNU FDL Version 1.3 Improves Compatibility
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) has released version 1.3 of its GNU Free Documentation License improving compatibility with certain Creative Commons licenses.
With the revision GNU FDL 1.3 licensed material can be relicensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC-BY-SA) version 3.0 license. The license conditions require attributions to the author and/or licensor and that any modifications made to the product remain under the same or another compatible license.
Changes to the license can be traced back to a query from the Wikimedia Foundation, with its many Wikipedia publications in numerous languages, probably the largest user of the FDL. Brett Smith, responsible for license adherence at Wikimedia explains the problem:"Wikis often import material from a wide variety of sources, many of which use the CC-BY-SA license. Wikipedia, however, uses the GNU FDL. The incompatibility between these two licenses has been an obstacle to moving material back and forth between these sites. The new provision of FDL version 1.3 will give Wikipedia and other wikis another chance to choose the licensing policies they prefer."
The Wikipedia Foundation will be discussing the relicensing of content under the Creative Commons License in the near future. In his blog, Creative Commons Founder Larry Lessig welcomes the move: "A fundamental flaw in the Free Culture Movement to date is that its most important element -- Wikipedia -- is licensed in a way that makes it incompatible with an enormous range of other content in the Free Culture Movement."
The GNU FDL basically remains a license for software handbooks. The complete text to the license and a FAQ list for version 1.3 can be viewed at the GNU Project website.
The FSF is also working on version FDL 2.0, which should bring even more significant changes. The organization invites discussion and comments of the pros and cons of version 3.0 of the software license GPL on the GPLv3 website.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
TUXEDO Computers Unveils Linux Laptop Featuring AMD Ryzen CPU
This latest release is the first laptop to include the new CPU from Ryzen and Linux preinstalled.
-
XZ Gets the All-Clear
The back door xz vulnerability has been officially reverted for Fedora 40 and versions 38 and 39 were never affected.
-
Canonical Collaborates with Qualcomm on New Venture
This new joint effort is geared toward bringing Ubuntu and Ubuntu Core to Qualcomm-powered devices.
-
Kodi 21.0 Open-Source Entertainment Hub Released
After a year of development, the award-winning Kodi cross-platform, media center software is now available with many new additions and improvements.
-
Linux Usage Increases in Two Key Areas
If market share is your thing, you'll be happy to know that Linux is on the rise in two areas that, if they keep climbing, could have serious meaning for Linux's future.
-
Vulnerability Discovered in xz Libraries
An urgent alert for Fedora 40 has been posted and users should pay attention.
-
Canonical Bumps LTS Support to 12 years
If you're worried that your Ubuntu LTS release won't be supported long enough to last, Canonical has a surprise for you in the form of 12 years of security coverage.
-
Fedora 40 Beta Released Soon
With the official release of Fedora 40 coming in April, it's almost time to download the beta and see what's new.
-
New Pentesting Distribution to Compete with Kali Linux
SnoopGod is now available for your testing needs
-
Juno Computers Launches Another Linux Laptop
If you're looking for a powerhouse laptop that runs Ubuntu, the Juno Computers Neptune 17 v6 should be on your radar.